THE FINALISTS

Narrator Sean Patrick Hopkins employs a resolute approach and elicits nail-biting anxiety as this locked-room mystery unfolds during an evaluation for a college scholarship. Hopkins portrays the students, a school administrator, and a wealthy donor with definition and colorful, specific personas. The financial pressure the students and faculty are under is tremendous, with success for the school's future and the students in the balance. Bell explores issues like racism, ageism, and sexism among the six students, the administrator, and the representative of the college's founder. Hopkins's pauses, emphasis, and inflections build tension as the usually routine written and oral exams take on unexpected intrigue. THE FINALIST explores relevant and heartbreaking issues involving opportunity and the high cost of higher education. R.O. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2022]